The Arizona Cardinals are coming off their best-ever regular season and their second-ever NFC Championship game appearance.
Last month, they addressed a crucial need by trading for a top-tier pass rusher. The re-signing of running back Chris Johnson and speedy rehab of safety Tyrann Mathieu are both big-time positives.
The response of Las Vegas oddsmakers? Meh.
According to betting site Bovada, the Cardinals' odds of winning Super Bowl LI are 16-1 at the moment.
Yes, those odds do put the Cards ahead of 25 NFL teams and dead even with the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.
But the Cards are firmly behind a trio of NFC teams, as the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers, along with the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, are listed as 10-1 to win it all.
The Panthers routed the Cardinals in last season's NFC title game, but the Cards beat out the Seahawks for the NFC West division crown, and they beat the Packers twice, including in the playoffs.
The odds-on favorites are the AFC's New England Patriots, who come in at 6-1.
Hey, at least Vegas thinks more highly of the Cards than they do the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, both of which are 150-1 underdogs to win what would be the first Super Bowl title for either franchise.
